Census Numbers Released
The 2010 U.S. Census numbers were released yesterday and the news wasn’t great for the state. Michigan was the only state in the country that lost population in the past decade. That means Michigan will lose a U.S. Representative in the House and lose some federal funding. We can be sure that we’ll be hearing a lot about redistricting (that’s the re-drawing of legislative and Congressional districts that is done every 10 years after a census) in the coming years as Michigan will go from 15 U.S. House seats to 14. Michigan is one of 10 states that will lose at least one House seat.
Detroit Crime Drops
There are newFBI crime figures out and they show that violent crime in Detroit dropped by almost 8% in the first half of the year. The biggest reduction was in homicides (28%), which fell from 202 to 146. Robberies were also down by about 9%, Sarah Cwiek reports. However, the city did see a jump in the number of rapes and arsons. Nationwide, violent crime was done about 6%.
Snyder Wants 2-Year Budget
Governor-elect Rick Snyder says he will propose a 2-year state budget once he becomes Governor. Snyder also says he wants the legislature to pass the budget by July of next year. The state is constitutionally mandated to pass a balanced state budget every year. In past years, the legislature has gone down to the wire to pass a state budget on time. As The Associated Press reports:
Although Snyder has until March 14 to present a proposal for the budget year that starts Oct. 1, he plans to do it earlier. He also plans to deliver his first State of the State address in mid-January rather than at the more traditional end of the month. The Republican governor-elect already has told lawmakers and his staff that he wants to get a lot done in the 182 days between Jan. 1 and July 1, including passing a two-year budget, one year longer than normal for the state Michigan faces a shortfall of up to $1.7 billion in the next fiscal year, something Snyder will have to address in his budget proposal.
